Our Doctors
Dr. Laila B. Hishaw
Specializing in Pediatric and Adolescent Dentistry
Laila Hishaw, DDS, FICD, is a board-certified pediatric dentist, speaker, and author of the Amazon best-seller, Cavity-Free Kids: How to Care For Your Kids’ Teeth From Birth Through Their Teenage Years. After graduating from Pepperdine University with a degree in Sports Medicine, Dr. Hishaw earned her Doctorate of Dental Surgery with Honors in Pediatric Dentistry from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry. Thereafter, Dr. Hishaw completed a two-year residency specializing in Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Texas Health Science Center-San Antonio, one of the most respected programs in the country. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and holds Fellowships in the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the International College of Dentists, one of the oldest and most prestigious honorary dental societies in the world. Dr. Hishaw’s demonstration of integrity, leadership, and service to others has garnered such recognition with less than 3% of dentists in the United States who share this distinction with her.
Dr. Hishaw enjoys every opportunity to serve in her community to further the public’s education on children’s oral health. She has given presentations to area health professionals, as well as lectures and presentations across the country to her fellow colleagues. She has co-authored research articles on tooth whitening in children in professional dental journals worldwide. Her compassionate nature with her colleagues and patients has brought her recognition as one of Tucson’s Top Dentist™. She was nationally recognized on Discovery Health Channel’s “Mystery Diagnosis” series where she was highlighted for her role in diagnosing a rare neurological disorder in one of her patients.
Her professional affiliations include the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the Arizona Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Dental Association and she plays an active role in the Southern Arizona Dental Society as a House Delegate. Dr. Hishaw has served as an Anesthesia Evaluator for the Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners. As an evaluator, she helped determine if dentists demonstrated the knowledge and experience required to safely sedate patients in their dental office.
When Dr. Hishaw is not in the practice, she is working hard to increase the representation of underrepresented dentists to reflect that of our Nation. She founded the non-profit, Diversity in Dentistry Mentorships Inc., to educate and empower minority youth to explore dentistry as a profession through mentoring. She lectures nationally on pediatric dentistry, diversity in dentistry addressing topics of racial, ethnic, and cultural disparities in healthcare, burnout prevention, and topics relevant to women in dentistry.
Dr. Laila Hishaw is an authority in children’s oral health, a respected leader in her community, and a compassionate pediatric dentist who loves the children she serves. She and her husband are the proud parents of three children.
Dr. Priya Y. Abramian
Specializing in Pediatric and Adolescent Dentistry
Priya Abramian, DDS is a board-certified pediatric dentist who received the Richard C. Pugh Achievement Award for her score in the top 3% of the nation on her qualifying board certification exam. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Texas at Austin where she received a 4.0, graduating with a B.A. in Biology. She then graduated first in her dental class and obtained a Doctorate of Dental Surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center – Houston. Dr. Priya went on to obtain an advanced education certificate in General Practice Dentistry at a hospital-based program in Fresno, California. During her General Practice Residency, she became well experienced in treating special needs patients with a range of medical concerns. As with Dr. Hishaw, Dr. Priya completed her specialty training in Pediatric Dentistry from the University of Texas Health Science Center – San Antonio, one of the most respected programs in the United States.
Dr. Priya demonstrated a profound interest in research throughout her training years. Her research areas ranged from oral lesions found in HIV-infected children to access to health care for the underserved pediatric population. She obtained three training grants from the National Institute of Health to support her endeavors. Dr. Priya has received numerous awards and accolades for her research including first place in the National Caulk/Dentsply research competition held in Washington D.C.
She has presented her research at various meetings across the nation including the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Association of Dental Research, and the International Association of Dental Research.
Her professional affiliations include the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the Arizona Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Dental Association and the Southern Arizona Dental Society. She currently serves on the medical advisory board of the Southern Arizona Celiac support organization.
Dr. Priya loves treating children and enjoys being a positive influence in the lives of our patients by teaching and practicing the gold standard of care in our practice. Dr. Priya and her husband are the proud parents of two boys.
Dr. Jennifer Canada
Specializing in Pediatric and Adolescent Dentistry
Dr. Jennifer Canada hails from Marietta, Georgia where she grew up
with a lifelong goal of becoming a dentist. After obtaining her
Bachelor’s of Arts at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, she
attended Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ASDOH) where
she received her Doctor of Dental Medicine and Master of Public
Health. Dr. Canada went on to obtain her Advanced Education in
Pediatric Dentistry certificate from Brookdale University Hospital &
Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York where she served as Chief
Resident of the Pediatric Dental Residency Program. An avid learner
with a quest to educate, Dr. Canada has extensive training in all
aspects of pediatric dentistry including minimally invasive
techniques, conscious sedation, treating patients with special
healthcare needs, and hospital dentistry.
Dr. Canada’s professional affiliations include the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, Arizona Academy of Pediatric Dentists, Arizona Dental Association, Central Arizona Dental Society, and the American Dental Association.
Dr. Canada is committed to creating a safe and fun dental environment for her patients.
Her main goal is to help children of all ages cope with their dental treatment so that they will seek lifelong dental care as they mature into adolescence and adulthood. She’s also committed to providing a safe and calming environment for patients to qualm any fears. In her free time, Dr. Canada loves to spend time with her husband and children. She is an avid reader and movie-goer who loves sci-fi/fantasy and superhero films.
Did You Know?
Parental involvement is extremely important. Prepare your child for their first visit by reinforcing a positive attitude:
- Playing pretend dentist
- Reading books that involve a dental visit
The leading causes of cavities are a diet of high sugars and lack of brushing and flossing. The longer your child chews on their food, the longer the residue stays on their teeth, the more acid forms and the greater the chances of cavities.
Children should be weaned from the bottle at 12-14 months of age.
It is very important that primary teeth are kept in place until they are lost naturally. These teeth serve a number of critical functions.
Pedodontics is the branch of dentistry dealing with the teeth and mouth conditions of children. Pediatric dentistry is the specialty of dentistry that focuses on the oral health and unique needs of young people.
It is very important to care for your young child’s teeth. Early Childhood Caries (ECC), or tooth decay can affect a child’s body weight, growth and the overall quality of life of a child.
What Causes tooth decay?
- Bacteria that live on teeth consumes sugar and then uses it to manufacture acids
- The acids dissolve teeth
- The dissolved tooth becomes infected
- This infection is called decay
Four things are necessary for cavities to form:
- a tooth
- bacteria
- sugars or other carbohydrates, and
- time.
